What happened in Tallahassee
by evincis
Summary: ... and did not quite stay in Tallahassee. This is a little story of how August could turn out to be Henry's father. Minor spoilers for "Lady of the Lake". Enjoy and please review.


_AN/ This conversation could happen at any time in the show. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and means no copyright infringement. Please do not publish without my explicit knowledge and consent._

_This is something that I came up with when I read that we will meet Henry's father in the 4__th__ November episode. Wooden Swan all the way. Until they introduce Emma's love interest (please don't be Capitan Hook!) I am sticking with my theory that those 2 should be together. I know that August probably won't turn out to be Henry's father but it gives me an excuse to write a fanfiction in the middle of my mid-terms. _

_**What happened in Tallahassee**_

… _**did not quite stay in Tallahassee**_

"Emma." August entered in sheriff station. "Do you have a minute? I wanted to talk to you about something." When he had woken up at Granny's after the curse had been broken, he had promised himself to talk to her about this. Besides, there was something that he needed to ask. He knew that it wasn't possible but he still needed to ask.

"Sure." Emma answered. She was glad to see him. A few weeks had passed since she had gotten back from the Enchanted Forest with her mother. She was still an emotional wreck but her life was starting to get in balance. She had been relived to find August alive although she couldn't quite figure out her feelings for him. That was even more difficult when he seemed to be avoiding her.

"Actually it is more of a confession." He sat down. "All those years ago, when I left you in that foster home, I started questioning my decision from the moment I got on the bus." She tried to stop him but he didn't let her. He knew that she hated talking about their past, especially now that they had gotten closer. But she needed to hear this. "Please, hear me out. I promised that I would end with the secrets and the lies and I will keep that promise." He took a deep breath. "So, when I was old enough to work, I started saving up money so I could find you and I started digging. You were hard to track down and I had to hurry because you were almost 18 and the foster system would not keep track of you any more. Finally I managed to get an address in Tallahassee, where you had been for a while. When I arrived I rented a room at a bed and breakfast not far from there. I would come in the morning and try to talk to you."

"Why are you telling me this?" She looked confused.

"Just listen. Please. I couldn't fall asleep because I was upset after seeing the neighborhood that you lived in and I went to the diner and had a few drinks. When I went out of the diner, a girl approached me. Seeing the clothes and the makeup she was wearing, you would have thought she was at least my age but I was pretty sure she was younger. Never mind. She was obviously quite drunk. She was very upset. We started talking. One thing led to another and we spent the night together." The expression on Emma's face changed. "When I woke up in the morning, she was gone. I felt bad about it. One-night stands were never my thing. Anyway, I took a shower and I made my way to your house. I was going to try and find her later. I found your place and talked to your foster mother and she told me that you had not come back the night before and that you were working at the 24h diner next to the B&B. When I got back there, one of the waitresses told me that you had just been fired…"

"Because I slept with one of the customers." She said with realization.

"Yeah." He looked at the ground. "Me."

Silence fell upon the room. Neither of them moved for several minutes. Suddenly Emma got up.

"No. It's not possible."

"Emma, you were really drunk. You probably don't remember my face and that is why you didn't recognize me."

"No. It is not possible." Emma said more slowly.

"I tried to talk to you afterwards but you were gone. Your neighbor told me that your parents had kicked you out and you had jumped on the first bus out of town. After that I couldn't track you down." After a minute

"I went to Jacksonville and I moved to Phoenix a week later." She shook her head: _that was not possible. _"No. How… How can you be sure…?"

"You are ticklish behind your left ear, you were wearing a playboy bunny on your belly button at the time and you felt very self-conscious about the scar from your appendix surgery." The look on her face scared him. She was obviously scared herself. "Look, I feel really bad for what happened. I had been thought to respect women. And instead of waking you home… I swear I wanted to take you home but… the effect that you had on my self control…"

"Your self-control? _Your_ self control?" She was trying to process everything. While shouting. "All those years I felt like the stupidest person ever. Stupid enough to sleep with a random guy and get knocked up at 18… Is that why you took such an interest in him when you got here? Your bike "broke down" in front of his house."

"When I arrived in Storybrooke and recognized you right away. Then I saw a kid kid next to you, who looked enough like you to be your son. He looked like he could be 10. I did the math." He looked her in the eyes. "I couldn't be sure though. I mean, we did use protection."

"We did?" She seemed surprised.

"I might not have had a strong enough will to stop you but I still had some good sense left in me. I guess he was just meant to be." He said but she did not look at him. "Emma. Look, I wanted you to know that I'm sorry for the way things turned out. You should not have had to face everything alone. If I had been there for you, we might have been able to keep Henry."

"Oh, so you're one of those guys who would do the right thing." She said sarcastically.

"I understand your frustration. And, yes I would have stayed with you but not only because you were pregnant. Emma, I was looking for you because I wanted to make up for my mistakes. I wanted to take care of you, protect you, and guide you to your destiny. I guess I caused you more pain that I imagined possible."

They remained in silence again, awkwardness in the air.

"Do you want a minute alone?" She nodded. "I just want you to know. I meant what I said the day you returned from the Enchanted Forest. I love you and I love Henry and I don't want to lose either of you because I messed up years ago. We should have been a family and we still can be. I'm going to fight for that. Just something for you to think about."

_Next morning, at Granny's._

"Good morning." Emma entered the diner.

"Morning." August answered.

"Don't stand up." She sat at the table. "I thought what you said yesterday. A year ago, I would have probably ignored you or punched you in the face. But I won't. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to hate you." She smiled. "When Henry came for breakfast this morning, he asked about you. He wanted to know if I had heard from you. He was worried. And then I remembered how you helped me when you got here. And how I let you turn to wood because I couldn't bring myself to believe in the curse and the emptiness that I felt when I saw your wooden body upstairs." She made a pause and took a deep breath. "When I was back in the Enchanted Forest, Snow… my mother, she told me stories about how her and my father. Did you know that she had been cursed never to have children? And how happy they both had been to have me." She made another pause. "What I'm trying to say is that I am very grateful to have Henry. And if it hadn't been for that night, I would have never had him. And we are both to blame: I must have been tice as hammered as you." She finally looked him in the eyes. "So What I'm trying to say is: thank you. Thank you for Henry."

"Oh, Emma." August stood up and hugged her. She hugged him back, crying on his shoulder. "Thank _you_. Thank you for being so strong. Thank you for showing me the right direction. I will never leave to two of you again. I promise." And Emma believed that. She could spot lies and this wasn't one.

"How about you come over for dinner tonight?" She said and he looked at her surprised. "He'll have to find out at some point. And better sooner than later. Trust me. I spent a year around my parents without knowing who they were."

"You're right." He smiled at her. "One final thing: I know you don't believe in destiny but I do. And I know that the thought may scare you but I am going to do everything I can so we can be a family some day."

"That _is_ a scary thought." She smiled as she saw him walk out the door. _And I love you too._ She thought although she wasn't ready to word it yet. Tonight was going to be interesting.

_AN/ I know that Emma was a little emotional. And I know that the story is a little out of character but I didn't really have much time to work on it. And besides, I think that Emma will evolve in the Enchanted Forest and might come back a little more open to emotional stuff._

_Anyway, please leave a review. I really want to know what you think._


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